New CNN video offers first glimpse into Texas church after last week's mass shooting

A new CNN video offered a first glimpse into the Texas church that suffered a mass shooting last week.

A new CNN video offered a first glimpse inside the Texas church that experienced a mass shooting last week.

The First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, held a memorial service outside over the weekend for the 26 people who were killed inside by a lone gunman.

The event included allowing attendees to look inside the small sanctuary where white chairs were placed where the victims were found after the shooting. You can see the video below, courtesy of CNN.

Mark Collins, a previous pastor at First Baptist, told CBS News that the memorial event drew the largest gathering in the church's 100-year history, further highlighting how this small Texas town has used prayer to grieve over the many lives lost.

The church originally planned to hold a memorial for the victims at a nearby community center so it could “accommodate a few dozen people,” according to CBS News. But when the church discovered hundreds would attend the memorial, it moved the event to a local baseball field.

“So many people turned up that the tent's side flaps had to be opened for an overflow crowd so that those who couldn't get a seat could see and hear what was going on inside,” according to CBS.

Survivors from the attack sat in the front three rows of the memorial.

The church opened its doors late Sunday to reveal the white-chair memorial inside the church.

Church officials said the building will likely be torn down in the future, with pastor Frank Pomeroy saying it’s too painful a reminder to keep standing.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas spoke at the service and agreed with Pomeroy’s thoughts.

"The pain of losing 26 members is overwhelming," Cornyn said. "Many lives have been changed forever. I can't imagine what you've been grappling with ever since."